Hello,

Just curious on which years X100 convertible is the most reliable? I hear it's 2004-2006 years. What are the issues to look out for? Part availability? Ease of repair/service/maintenance if doing work myself?

In words of Sebastien Vettel, Grazie Ragazzi!

 

Roadster44,

Welcome to the Forum. I take it you're looking for a X100 convertible, and you're right in sticking to the later 2004-2006 X100 in terms of reliability. There were 3 generations of the car over the 10 year production run of the X100 from 1996 to 2006. From your post, it sounds like you're handy with a wrench and have a decent garage. IMHO, the X100 is an excellent car for the home DIY "shade tree" mechanic.

By Gen3, virtually all the known problems in the X100 were fixed and you'll have a car with the bigger 4.2L engine and the ZF6 gearbox. The car is relatively easy to work on, in terms of access in the bonnet and to the car interior, but there are always tricks, hints and repair procedures that our Forum members are proud to share. Parts seem reasonably priced and are available (the AJ-V8 engine is common across different car brands, plus ZF gearboxes & Denso electronics are standard within the automobile industry. Some plastic trim parts are No Longer Available (NLA) and if available, the cost can be eye popping! You'll be on eBay alot in this case.

However buying a Gen 3 car will come at an increased cost. Some opt for earlier Gen cars with either the repairs/upgrades done by the previous owner (ie the chain tensioners), or factor these into negotiations in the purchase price.

IMHO, a car will higher mileage and a better service history is better than a low mileage "garage queen." If your budget stretches for it, the XKR is preferable to the XK8 if you want a more sporty experience. Dealing with the large supercharger on top of the engine, makes access more difficult for some jobs.

Some particular things to look out for in the X100 are generally related to age (ie old rubber bits)
1. suspension esp. the upper shock mounts - check in the shock towers under the bonnet - and the lower shock bush
2. Sway bar bushes and link rod - car shouldn't groan when pushed hard into corners
3. all the coolant hoses at the front of the engine
4. if you go for the more sporty XKR this has an additional oil cooling radiator
5. evidence of ZF Gearbox ATF fluid and filter change
6. have the Convertible hydraulic hoses been changed/upgraded
7. AC system/ Cabin Heater work? - this is expensive/difficult to replace/repair

Good luck with your hunt and let us know how you get on. As you will be dealing with a car over 15 years old, I will say the journey will be a nice experience if you're familiar with "old car" ownership.... but have cash in hand just in case.

 

We should just make a thread like this a sticky, so that we don't get a new one every other week.

 

The trouble with "stickies" is newbies don't read them. Come to think of it, a lot of members don't read then either!

Graham

 

Also, the problem with having everything in 'stickies' is that you risk losing the interaction with other members, especially new members. It then just becomes an informative website rather than a forum, and loses the social aspect. Let's face it, pretty much any question on any topic can be found on the internet, yet we still come here to 'hang out'.

 

Roadster, you found the best place for Great info. Regardless of the problem, someone here has had it, and can likely explain a repair.

 

DavidYau said everything that I would say. I am over 65 with assorted metal bits and fairly severe arthritis. I still do most of my own work. The X100 is like most modern vehicles , generally easy to work on but there are "fiddly bits" as well. You are in Michigan USA . You can get a LOT of the parts from good old Rock Auto.
For reference the jag is no harder to work on than my son-in-laws Chevy Malibu for anything I have found so far.

As for reliability. My wife and I go on month long road trips that cover thousands of miles every year. The car is rock solid and the best GT I have ever owned. Currently at over 130,000 miles it uses no oil between changes and starts withing 10 seconds after being stored for months in the winter